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XII.

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MED. you will hear, or whether you will "forbear*." and woe be to that man, I repeat the words with the emphasis of a delegated Minister of the Gospel of Christ-Woe be to that man who neglects this opportunity of instruction!

And may the only wise God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, dwell in my mind by the Spirit, and enable me to preach the truth, the whole truth as it is in Jesus; may I, neither by favor or af fection, by fear of man or love of worldly things, compromise or disguise the great and important trust committed to my care; may I be firm and disinterested, bold and vigorous in the exercise of my duty; and may you, whom I am permitted to address, be ever ready to receive the word of truth, and apply the salutary remedy which it offers, to your inmost thoughts and

Ezek. ii. 5.

most serious meditations!

"Hear MED.

"Thou, O Lord! in Heaven thy XII. " dwelling place, and when Thou "hearest forgive *" for thy blessed Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

* 1 Kings viii. 30.

MEDITATION XIII.

MED.

ROM. X. 17.

-Hearing, by the Word of God.

BLESSED are they that hear! BlesXIII. sed is the opportunity of hearing! Blessed are the Instructors; and blessed is the Word which, by the power and grace of God, is able to make them wise unto salvation! "Blessed are ye "when men shall revile you and per"secute you, delivering you into pri

sons- (for I address those who are " in their sins-) speaking all manner "of evil against you (—would to God "I could add falsely!) for righteous"ness sake.*." But though your im

* Matt. v. 12.

XIII,

prisonment may be just and your accu- MED. sation true; your correction may be salutary, and your deliverance sure. The observation will be found applicable to spiritual restraints of whatever nature, to restraints of the mind, the habits, the passions. Self-examination, accompanied with fervent prayer, and devout resolution, will bring all these into subjection. Then will the blessing of those that are ready to perish come upon you-your prison garments will be changed; your hearts will be changed also. Your deliverance will resemble that of the patriarch Joseph, though you were not innocent like him, "who was sold for a servant, whose "feet they hurt with fetters; he was ❝ laid in iron: until the time that his "word came; the word of the Lord "tried him. The King sent and loosed “him, even the ruler of the people, and "let him go free. He made him lord "of his house, and ruler of all his "substance; to bind his princes at his

MED.
XIII.

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pleasure, and teach his senators "wisdom *.

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Had Joseph never been imprisoned, he never would have risen to celebrity in the house of Pharaoh. Had you never been checked by some unusual incident of situation, some awful dispensation; had you never been brought within the precincts of sorrowful confinement; had your sins never found you out, never overtaken you in your thoughtless and wild journey of iniquity; the present moment of solemn recollection and evangelical repentance never would have occurred. Oppressed by a hard unfeeling heart, you would have kept on the ordinary tenor of your way; you would have set your faces like a flint against all reformation of conduct; you would have resisted even unto blood in the cause of wickedness; you would have exultingly and insolently exclaimed, To-morrow shall be as

*Ps. cv. 17, &c.

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